In an image pickup device such as a digital camera, a digital video camera, etc. it is easy to process obtained images because obtained images are stored or recorded as digital data.
One application of an image pickup device that utilizes the above feature is a combined photograph. A combined photograph is a photograph synthesized by laying out a plurality of photographs that have been obtained through a plurality of times of shooting.
More specifically, a combined photograph including a plurality of images is generated so that the photographer expresses the feelings or imagination of the moment of the shooting from images expressing the stereoscopic feeling based on different scenes and different viewpoints, from images picked up as time elapses and from picked-up images capturing the movements of a subject. Thereby, the combined image is intended to convey, to those who look at the photograph, feelings or imagination.
In order to accomplish this purpose, there is a scenario for a method and order of arranging photographs and such a scenario is very important for arousing emotions of those who look at the photographs.
Image pickup devices that obtain combined photographs are roughly categorized into two groups; those that obtain a plurality of photographs constituting a combined photograph in one shutter manipulation as disclosed in for example Patent Document 1 (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-053616), and those that obtain a plurality of photographs constituting a combined photograph in shutter manipulations that respectively correspond to the plurality of photographs as disclosed in for example Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 4529561).
Note that Patent Document 1 discloses a digital camera that continuously picks up images for a plurality of frames and displays the images of the plurality of frames in a listed manner.
Patent Document 2 discloses an image pickup device that synthesizes and records optimum images which have each been selected for each subject from among a plurality of images of different subjects, the plurality of images having been picked up for each of those subjects.
Incidentally, in order to obtain a desired combined photograph, it is desirable that when the image data is generated for a combined photograph, the arrangement positions of photographs constituting the combined photograph be able to be changed easily by the users of the image pickup device in accordance with preference.